My day in the field today

[Dogfish]

I headed out for deer, elk, and ducks today. I saw 5 deer, including a spike a 20 yards that I had dead to rights. I still can't believe I passed him up, but I am holding out for something just a bit bigger. Proud of me, Bait o' eggs?

I then headed to my elk spot on private property. I should have gone there first, **** ! Three bulls down, biggest was a 6x6, then a 5x5, and then a majestic 3x2. One other gal had a cow down, cow tag. They all went out whole. I have a cow tag, and there were plenty for the taking. The good news is that I saw 9 at 6:30pm tonight, and I put them to bed. I won't be deer hunting in the morning. Oh well, I still have 25 days to get a cow.

I tried to jump shoot the ducks on the slough, but no joy there as well. For some reason, none were in a spot where they had been every day I went there this month. Maybe they got the word?

The saving grace of the day was that I shot 18 barn pigeons! Not quite my best, 24, but a good number regardles, and the farmers were happy.

I guess that's why they call it hunting, not killing. Andy

[Dogfish]

Day two.

Showed up at the elk killin' grounds at 6:40am today, the beginning of hunting hours. I wanted to fill my cow tag. Got out of the truck, loaded my gun, and walked about 80 yards into the field when I saw what I thought were three coyotes running straight for me. It was still kind of dark, so I kneeled down to reduce my profile. As these beasts got closer, I saw that telltale two tone pattern that told me they were elk, out at about 150 yards, and they were still heading my way at a trot.

The lead elk stopped at about 75 yards, and looked right at me, while the other two nervously looked around. She was upwind of me, so she couldn't smell me, and I guess she decided that I was a stump.

With the big cow in the lead, they proceeded to walk straight at me to the point where they stopped broadside at 10 yards. BOOM!

At the shot they all headed for the hedgerow, about 20 yards deep and made of blackberry bushes. I ran aound the other side in time to see one of the elk head into a treeline about 50 yards beyond the backside of the hedgerow they just busted through.

I could only see two sets of tracks heading out of the hedgerow. Hmmmmmmmm. I waited for the light to come up before tracking the blood trail, if there was one.

About half an hour later, here come the guys who pushed the elk to me. They asked me if I saw anything, and I gave them the rundown, and showed them where the elk went, and they took off.

I went to my hat, dropped it after I shot to mark the starting point. I followed the tracks into the hedgerow, and after 10 yards of bushwhackin' blackberries, I found my cow. I pulled her out to the edge, gutted her, and then loaded her in the trailer whole! Two hours later, I was home with a skinned and split elk.

That was my quickest ever elk hunt, all the work was done by 9:30, and all by myself! Now I just have to butcher, but at least I will have help for that.

FYI, the elk was taken with my Mossberg 835 shooting Federal Hydra-shock 1 oz. sabot slugs through a 24" rifled slug barrel with open sights. The slug took out a rib on the way in, punched through the heart, and then clipped a rib on the way out. There was no bloodshot meat like you get with a .300 Win Mag, just a clean hole in, and a clean hole out, both about 3/4" in diameter.

I am a true believer in the power, accuracy, and final performace of a good slug gun on elk.

Best of luck on your hunts. Andy

[Bait O' Eggs]

Congrats, Sounds like fun,

How do you gut one of them cows? [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] I wouldnt know where to start if I didnt have a "whachamacallit" to start cutting next to [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[Dogfish]

Just start at the "udder" naughty bit, and proceed as you would if it were a boy elk.

I got to break in my new knife! It is the only Buck 'zipper' with an elk antler handle in existence(no brown, just white ivory antler). One of my clients sold some antler to Buck Knives, and I helped to finance the deal. As a perk, I got a cool knife, made from the product I helped to finance.

The antler originated from the Boy Scout shed round-up in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Every year, the Boy Scouts go through Yellow Stone Park and pick up sheds. Most of the antlers make it to the Asian market, but Richard was able to find a market here, and I helped to get it financed. (Bankers get to be in on some cool deals at times!)

I just finished the butchering process an hour ago. She was one BIG cow.

I saw another 25 elk today, including a nice 5x5. His hide was light blonde in color. They were in a closed area, about 4 miles from my house. Life is tough, especially when you have three elk herds withing 10 miles of your house.

Andy